Holiday rentals in Umbria, Italy

cycle tour

This Friday morning I thought the weekly market was in Passignano sul Trasimeno. From Castiglione del Lago, the small hamlet where I live, Passignano is only 20 km away. The bike tour along the lake also is an ideal track if you like running longer distances. I decided to take my bike and go to Passignano.

Bike Trail Trasimeno

The road is very easy and flat. Now that Autumn has started the temperatures are quite pleasant to bike or run.

In the beginning I thought I’d be alone along the Trasimeno Lake, but I did meet some other fellow bikers. I have a mountainbike which is easy cycling on mud and sandy trails, but these people passed by with normal bicycles.

It is a wonderful track from Castiglione del Lago to Passignano sul Trasimeno. Almost the whole way you’re driving along the lake. Now and than you find some obstacles, but you can avoid easily drive around it. First you pass Borghetto, and than Tuoro sul Trasimeno with a cosy picknick area to enjoy the views.

Bike Trail Trasimeno

Arriving in Passignano sul Trasimeno I hunkered for the market stalls with fresh fruit and vegetables to take home for my lunch. But I had been dreaming… on Friday there is no market, it is on Saturday morning! I made a small walk through the historical centre and I bought some bread. Passignano sul Trasimeno is a lovey village. One finds many terraces, shops, a butcher, a bakery and a fresh pasta shop.

Pasta shop in Passignano sul Trasimeno

Majolica shop in Passignano sul Trasimeno

Trasimeno Lake Umbria

On my way back I have recorded the track and the km counting with my navigation watch. The bike trail is fine both for trained and un-trained cyclists. You really do not need a mountainbike, you can also use a normal bike. A helmet is not required. You can follow the signs easily. The trail is surely recommended for bike lovers!

Friends of mine from Holland stayed at Casale Marsciano for a two-week holiday. Casale Marsciano is a beautiful private villa in the Umbrian nature. My friends wanted to visit Rome and from Umbria it is easy to go to Rome by train, also just for a day trip.

But how to explore the eternal city in one day? By bike!

If you have only one day at your disposal in Rome, cycling is an excellent way to get a good impression of this beautiful city. Not only to see the highlights, but also to explore small squares, little streets, restaurants and local bars. It is really fun, you should try it when you’re there.

We rented our bicycles at Bici & Baci. The price for one bike is 12,50 Euro a day.

We left early in the morning from Orte by train. Orte is a small village in Lazio, just over the border with Umbria and easy to reach by taking the E45. From the Orte station every 15 minutes there is a train to Rome.

You can buy the train tickets through the website, but you can also buy them at the ticket office or ticket machine. We parked our car behind the railway station for only 1,50 Euro for the whole day. Perfect!

We arrived at 8.45 am in Rome Termini. After a decent breakfast we headed off with our bikes. Cycling takes a lot of energy, especially in Rome which is a hilly town, being built on seven hills.

But even if you’re not a trained cyclist you do not need to worry, everybody can do it. The only important thing is that you shouldn’t be afraid of the traffic and chaos in the city centre. Cars and busses are fairly careful, though.

Our tour started in Via Cavour, at the bicycle rent office Bici & Baci. From there we went straight away to the Colosseum.

From the Colosseum we went to Circo Massimo and Campidoglio.

The Piazza del Campidoglio is a square created and designed by Michelangelo. Not far from there you see the enormous monument Vittorio Emanuele II. On the square itself you find the statue of Marcus Aurelius. And when you walk down hill you can admire the Forum. What a view.

Often we crossed the Piazza Venezia because it is centrally located and on your way to many sights in Rome.

We also visited the Fontana di Trevi, which at the moment is surrounded by scaffolding for restoration works. From there we cycled to the Piazza di Spagna and the Fontana della Barcaccia. Amazing!

The Villa Borghese park is really fantastic, we decided to have lunch there. Everything is green and clean. There are temples, gardens, lakes, statues etc. You can enjoy yourself in the park for hours.

Before cycling uphill to the Villa Borghese we stopped at the Piazza del Popolo to make some beautiful pictures.

A visit to the Villa Borghese museum is really a must do when you are in Rome, but remember to make a reservation before going there. In this villa you can admire art from Canova, Bellini and Raffaello.

The lunch was excellent. We went to a small bar called “Caffé Aphrodite”, not far from the Villa Borghese. You won’t see any tourist there. If you want to avoid the chaos in the city for a moment, this location is excellent. You can eat pasta, meat, vegetables, toasts and many other Roman dishes. Also the prices are decent. There is a terrace outside and after lunch we had an espresso on the house. Address “Caffé Aphrodite”: Via G. Donizetti 26/30.

Passing by the Via Veneto, we went on our way to Piazza Barberini and the Piazza San Pietro. This was one of the most important highlights of our cycle tour, visiting the Piazza San Pietro. We didn’t see the Pope, but what we saw was an enormous queue to enter the church. Unbelievable.

We saw many other places, like the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Castel Sant’Angelo, Campo dei Fiori, Trastevere, the Jewish quarter and so on. We visited all the important monuments in Rome in one day. And even if the city is (always) crowded with people and traffic, biking in Rome is a beautiful experience.

If you would like to have some information about biking in Rome you can contact us through via email.